Soldering iron



A. M. Ma FARLAND SOLDERING IRON oct. 3o, 1923.

Filed Aug. 18, 1921 .Illlvlllllll lll dJ-w. M |1,|

WITNEssE;

ATT- ORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES AnLIs M. MACFARLAND, or WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNon rro WESTING- VANIA.

HOUSE ELECTRIC &,MANUFACTURING COMEANY, A CORPORATION OFVPENNSY- soLDERING IRON.

Application led August 18, 1921. Serial No. 493,295.

`To @ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLrs M. MAGFAR LAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement Vin Soldering Irons, of which the following is a specification. l f

My invention relates to electrically-heated devices and particularly to electricallyheated soldering irons and it has for its ob` ject to provide a relatively simple, inexpensive soldering iron having a removable heat cartridge and adapted to be quickly assemi5 bled and disassembled.

1n practicing my invention, I provide a tubular shank having a forked end which is welded or otherwise secured to a tubular metal casing. `A soldering tip is located at the other end ofthe casing, the soldering tip having an axial integral extension adapted to fit within an axial chamber in an insulating resistor container; rEhe resistor container. is provided `with a plurality of longitudinally extendingy chambers within which the resistor is located. Communicating laterallyextending chambers are provided to permit oflocating substantially the entire resistor beneath the outer `surface ofl the container. Two co-operating cover members are provided, each having co-operating depressions on the inner surfaces, V within which depressions suitable terminal plates l are located to which 'the ends of the resistor and of the supply-circuit `conductors may be connected. vA singleA bolt extending through the two cover members serves vto hold them in proper operative position in the forked end ofthe shank. A suitable handle is mounted on the shank, and a suitf able ilexible spring serves to prei/*ent the breakage of the supply-circuit conductors `immediately adjacent the outer end of the handle.

In the single sheet of drawings, y Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a soldering iron embodying my invention, certain portions thereof being cut away.;

Fig. 2 is a view, in front elevation, of the tubular shank partially finished;

3 is a view, in front elevation, of the completed tubular shank;

Fig. 4 is a view, in front elevation, of theV soldering tip Fig. 5 isa view, in front elevation, of the resistor container;

Y Fig. 6 isa top plan view of the resisto container illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig'. 7 is a View, in front elevation, of one of the cover members;

Fig. 8 is a view, in side elevation, ofy a cover member; l

Fig. 9 is" a View, in rear elevation, of a cover member;

Fig. 10 isa view, in front elevation, of a modified form of terminal block, and

Fig. 11 is a view, in side elevation, of the block illustrated in Fig. 10.

A tubular metal shank 12, of suitable length and radial thickness of material, is provided, at one end, with a longitudinally extending slot or saw cut 13 and, at its other end, with a slot 14 of relatively short length extending through only one of its walls. The end'having theslot 14 is rovided with suitable screw threads 15. T e end of the shank having the slot 13 is bent to form a member of substantially AY form, as illustrated in Fig.l 3 ofy the` drawings. A collar 16 islocatedlon the shank 12 and is weldedk or otherwise secured thereto to constitute an abutment for a handle 17. The front end Y of the" shanky 12 is buttfweld'ed to a tubular metal casing 18 which is provided, at its rear end, with an internal shoulder portion 19 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth in detail. A n

A solderingtip 2O, whichisy preferably made of copper, has a front end of any suitable or desired shape, anintermediate shoulder portion 21 of smaller diameter within which is located a tapering hole 22 and an integral axial extension 23 of relatively small diameter.

A substantially cylindrical resistor container 24 of any suitable insulatingmaterial is provided with a plurality of'longitudinallyv extending chambers25 and a plurality vof "laterally extending chambers 26 which communicate with the outer ends of each pair of chambers25. A plurality of laterally extending chambers 27 are provided adjacent the rear end of the container 24, the entire construction of the resistor container being such that a helicallyvvoiind resistor member 28 may 'be located in the chambers 25 and the communicatingehambersV 26 and 27.` The entire resistor located within the resistor container 24 is held in position by a small positioning pin 30 that projects through the Wall of the tubillar casing 18 to prevent any .turning movement a'iter being placed inside otthe easing. A disk 81 olf suitable insulating inaterial is located adjacent to the iront end ol? the container to insulate the resistor 'trom the inner surtace oit the shoulder portion 91.

.Si plurality o'l substantially triangular insulatinv cover plates 32, having rounded outer suri'aces lfl and substantially 'flat inner surfaces Se, are provided with end shoulders '35 that make an inter-fitting eni Vement 'with the shoulder portion 19 with which 'the member 1S is provided. The in` ner liat sui-tace ot each o1 the members 32 is provided with a plurality olf substantially rectangular depressions 57 Within which suitable contact: plates 38 may be located. ,ik plurality ot loiigg'itudinally extending grooves ill and lll comnumicate with the depressions 37 and receive the ends ot the resistor member 28 and of supply-circuit .oiuluctors 4:1, screws 4t2 being provided ou each ol? the plates 3S to suitably secure ihe eiuls olf the resistor' member and o'l the supplyrircuit conductors thereto. A depression el is provided at the inner end ot each cover plate 32 in which is a centrally ocated raised portion il to separate the eids ol the resistance conductor 4:1. A transverse hole flo :is provided in each oit the members $32 to receive a clamping bolt all, the head and nut of which are located in recesses el-(i Yin the respective members.

he handle 17 is held in its proper opera` tive position on the tubular shank 12 by a nut 419.

.r1 llexible helical spring 50 surrounds the supply-circuit conductors 11 to resiliently su'iport the same adjacent the rear end ot the shank to prevent injury to the insulation and the breaking oit the conductors.

.[1 hole 51 in the .tubular casing 18 reg-r ters with the hole Q2 the shoulder porirn i5, to receive a tapering pin for holdt he soldering tip 20 in its proper opetive relationA to the tubular casing.

it it should become necessary, or desirable, to 'sassr-.n'ible the completed iron, it is only necessary to drive out the tapering pin 52, alfter which the soldering tip 2O may be easily ivitlulravun i'roin the position illus` trated in l*1 irj. o'l the drawings. The bolt it? and one or the plates 32 may next be removed, alter ivhich the ends oil.1 the resistor member 2&3 may be disengaged from the contact plates 38 by loosening the co-oper screws ft2, and the entire resistor coner may then be removed from the tubular casing 18.

L new h ting clement, comprising the rei .Stor container and the resistor element 28, may then be inserted in the tubular casing'. 18. llhe insulating disk 31 may then be` Mlaced against the outer end ol" the menber it or, it desired, it may be placed in its proper operative position over the cxtenieiion 23 ol.l the soldering tip, alter which the soldering tip may be placed in position and the iper-ing pin :32 again. inserted. rlhe prlriously removed cover plate $32 may then be placed iu its proper co` operating position relatively to the other plate, after which the bolt lil may be replaced and the nut Atightened 'thereon to securely clamp tile cover plates together and in place at the lo :ed end ot the shank.

Figs. 10 and l1 illustra te a n'iodiiied term teriinal bloei; comprising a tlat plate 523 oit insulating material having a trani.` versely exto groove 541; in cach tace. ik rectangular Yern'iinal plate 55 is secured in each or the grooves i-l-` bv a screw 5G and is provided with a. plui` i or clamping screws :5T to secure the eues olf the resistor 2S and the end et the supply-circuit con ducto?.l i1 thereto. fi. pressedfmetal cover :38, ot suitable Vlori-n and shape and held in place b the bolt L17, may be placed at each side o'l the member :'33 to protect it.

lt may be noted that the device embodyiny invent-ion provides what may be termed an encased heat-ing element oli relatively simple form, which may be easily manufactured by molding and which is of such construction as to permit of ready renioval and reinsertion. ln case the resistor member 28 .is destroyed or injured, a new resistor member may be easily and quickly inserted in the resistor container and the whole heating element be quickly placed in the soldering iron to permit ot again using the same in actual operation.

The above-described soldering tip is quickly ren'iovable and has good heat-conducting engagement, not only With the tubular casing within which the heating element is located but also with the heating element proper by reason ot' its axial integral extension and its shoulder portion engaging the inner sui-'tace oit the tubular casing. The above described cover plate construction provides easily removable members Within which Vthe usual terminal plates may be niounted While permitting` of quick and easy assembly and disassembly of any ot the parts.

ltd/lille l have illustrated and described the device particularly as applied to a solderino" iron, it is apparent that it may also be applied to a branding-iron or any other device of substantially similar construction and that a branding-iron tip may be em` ployed with the device and be interchange able with the solderingtip.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention `Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof,

llO

` ofkparallel-extending longitudinal chambers therein and a plurality of laterally extending chambers at each end thereof, and a resistor located in said chambers, all of said resistors being located beneath the surface of said resistor-container.

2. An electrically heated soldering iron comprising a resistor-container substantially i cylindrical in form and having a plurality of longitudinally extending chambers and a plurality of laterally extending recesses connecting theends of adjacent chambers and a resistor located in said chambers and recesses .entirely beneath the surface of said resistor-container..

3. An electrically heated soldering iron comprising a tubular forked handle member, a tubular casing secured thereto, a removable resistor-container located in said tubular casing and a removable soldering tip operatively engaging said casing and having an integral portion extending into said resistorcontainer for receiving heat therefrom.

4. An electrically heated soldering iron comprising a tubular shank having a forked portion, a tubular casing secured thereto, a removable resistor-container located in said tubular casing, a resistor in: said container, a quickly removable soldering tip operatively engaging said casing, a tapered pin engaging said casing and said tip tov maintain them in operative position relatively to each other, a pair of oppositely disposed insulating cover plates located at the forked end 'of said shank and a plurality of terminal plates located between said `zover plates.-

5. An electrically heated soldering ironV comprising a tubular casing, a resistor-container and resistor in said casing, a forked tubular shank having a relatively small peripheral abutting engagement with said casing, a quickly removable soldering tip having abutting engagement with said casing over its entire periphery and having also an integral portion extending into said resistor-container, Y and quickly removable means for holding said soldering tip in operative relation to said casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of July, 1921.

ALLIS M. MACFARLAND. 

